Conversations With Disruptors : Eleonora Valenti, Mindvalley - Recart
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Conversations With Disruptors : Eleonora Valenti, Mindvalley

Mindvalley is the largest online personal growth platform in the world. To date, they have taught over 10 million students worldwide and have revolutionised learning as we know it. Their incredible company culture and transformative courses combined with a huge online presence truly sets them apart as one of the most forward-thinking companies in the world.

We sat down with their Head of Recruitment, Eleonora Valenti, to find how she finds the right people for the job and how she too ended up at Mindvalley.

Firstly Eleonora, we’d love to know a bit about you and how you ended up where you are today?

“Well, I worked at Nike for about six years and I really loved the company. I found that Nike and Mindvalley both have a really strong sense of purpose and I really resonated with that. After a few years, I decided that I wanted a more global career and to move to the next stage of my personal growth – so I decided to look for an opportunity in Asia! I created categories of things that really mattered to me, like location, company purpose, contribution – I wanted to make more of a direct impact on the world. I knew that I could really grow at Mindvalley, so I joined as a senior recruiter but after six months the team evolved and I became Head of Recruitment.”

How does working for a company like Mindvalley help you with your “Why?”

“It’s helped me tremendously. We’re an extremely purpose-driven company. Our CEO, Vishen, always says that “the most extraordinary people in the world today don’t have a career, they have a mission” so in Mindvalley we hire people for their mission not just for their career. We always ask new recruits how Mindvalley can contribute to their mission or their ‘Why’ and not just how they can benefit us and help the company. Mindvalley also sponsors new recruits to go through one of our most popular transformational courses, Lifebook, to help them really distill their ‘Why’, work out their goals and truly discover their purpose.”

Why is it important for people to feel supported in the workplace?

“It’s extremely important – We are all human beings and, as such, safety and a sense of belonging are some of our basic needs. In Mindvalley we strive to create a workplace where people get healthier, happier and more productive. Some of our practices include culture days to celebrate our diversity, flexibility about working hours and location, to give employees the time to work on their important goals. Also, everyone in Mindvalley shares with the rest of the company their “3 Most Important Questions”: what are the experiences you want to live? How do you want to grow? What do you want to contribute to?”

Mindvalley is a niche company with millions of followers. You must get thousands of job applications, so how do you find the right people?

“It’s not easy to hire for a company like Mindvalley for a couple of reasons. Firstly, there’s a lot of flexibility and a lot of amazing tools that we provide to our employees but with that comes a great deal of responsibility. People have applied in the past because they’ve heard about our party culture, too and whilst we do have an amazing company culture in terms of having fun and going on retreats, we do also work extremely hard and I think sometimes people don’t realise that. There does need to be a balance, and of course a big company culture like that doesn’t actually suit everyone.

It is important that we assess and set the right expectations. In interviews, for example, we look at 3 values and competencies. The first is, of course, good communication skills. Everyone here communicates directly with everyone else so it’s critical that people know how to communicate clearly and rapidly. The second is effectiveness, that includes the capacity to focus and navigate one’s self. Not only do people have access to so much learning and extra opportunities but the organisation is also innovating rapidly so it could be easy for someone to just completely lose focus. The final is visionary leadership – Not just settling for the status quo but how to inspire, evolve and improve what we’re doing. Things change so quickly here, so we always look for people who can adapt whilst keeping their feet on the ground.

One thing that I’ve noticed lately is that the world is really changing and people are looking for more opportunities to grow and work in a place that allows them to do that rather than squash their creativity and discourage them to express themselves freely. More people are looking for meaning in their work and I think employers need to recognise this when they’re hiring.”

Why do you think more people are turning away from the corporate 9-5?

“From what I can see there is a lot of unhappiness. People are thinking “what is the point of working such long hours and not being fulfilled?” People spend so much of their day at work unfulfilled but I think this is changing now. Young people especially just don’t want to buy into that anymore and I think that’s great!”

What’s your ‘Why’?

“Well it took me a few years to find that but I definitely know now. My ‘Why’ is to help other people find their ‘Why’! I’ve always been a curious person and was interested in so many different things but I couldn’t work out how to combine them. I realised that what I care most about is unity, so my way of contributing to that is by helping people find their mission. I think the more people that tune into their ‘Why’, the more collaboration and connection there will be in the world.”

What advice would you give to your 18-year-old self?

“Hmmm, two things! Be patient because things will come, there is no need to rush through life. The journey is what matters, not just the destination. Secondly, and this is important, don’t let anybody tell you what to do with your life. I think it’s really important to find your own way and do what you’re passionate about.”

 

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